Method and system for self-managed sound enhancement

Abstract

A system for capturing an individual's hearing characteristics, including loudness tolerance levels at different sound frequencies, as an individualized shaped auditory profile for automatically enhancing audio to complement and address an individual's hearing deficits experienced via a particular signal pathway including the audio device, the sound environment, and the individual's hearing capabilities. The auditory profile is used to produce enhanced sound subsequently transmitted to the individual via the same signal pathway. The enhanced sound may be produced with consideration of both ears' auditory profile shapes together to increase the dynamic range of the enhanced sound. The sound enhancement can be introduced gradually over a sound reproduction session or a period of time of use. Manual gain adjustments applied by multiple users to particular sound enhancement are recorded and used in pattern recognition to allow the system to learn and suggest alternatives to the desired sound enhancement for the auditory profile.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 296,028 filed Oct. 17, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 151,375 filed Jan. 9, 2014, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 750,779 filed Jan. 9, 2013, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 184,776 filed Jul. 26, 2012, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 371,068 filed Aug. 5, 2010, and U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 379,237 filed Sep. 1, 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]This invention is directed in general to the field of audiology and digital sound engineering and in particular to a system and method for enhancing user experience based on an individualized audiological profile.[0003]Hearing loss has been estimated to be the most prevalent disability in developed co...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024]Tinnitus can be mitigated in accordance with the invention. Tinnitus loudness refers to the sensational level (SL) of an individual's tinnitus as calculated by subtracting the minimum audible level of tinnitus pitch from the intensity of the individual's tinnitus. While different approaches may be used to address tinnitus, one approach is through the use of sound therapy. Tinnitus relieving signals are generated according to the tinnitus pitch and loudness that have been measured when capturing the audio hearing characteristics that are used to form the individualized audiological profile. These generated relieving signals are used independently (without other enhancement) or embedded as part of the reproduc...

Problems solved by technology

The loss of hearing can lead to significant reductions in quality of life, impaired relationships, reduced access to employment and diminished productivity.

People generally are not aware of the decrease in their hearing sensitivities until they experience hearing problems, for instance, difficulty understanding a conversation on the phone or having problems hearing in a noisy environment.

Although wearing a hearing aid is considered as one of the less intrusive assistive technologies for hearing loss patients, it is not without problems.

To use a hearing aid during a phone conversation or music enjoyment via headphones is clumsy and inconvenient.

A common problem associated with hearing loss is tinnitus.

Some people with chronic tinnitus are able to ignore the condition while others find it annoying, intrusive, distracting, and even disabling.

Tinnitus may interfere with sleep, causing both emotional distress and ...

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